How it works
What happens, and in what order
Five stages, from the first message to the decision. Most of the work is reading and writing, and most of the waiting is the court’s.
- 01
Step 1: You send the judgment and its date
That is all it takes to begin. Adaline counts the time left and writes to you about timing before she does anything else.
- 02
Step 2: She reads the record
The transcript, the exhibits and the rulings. If you don’t have them yet, she explains how to order them and what they usually cost.
- 03
Step 3: You hear what she found
Which issues were raised, which a court is likely to hear, what the best case looks like and the worst. If an appeal isn’t worth it, she says so.
- 04
Step 4: The notice and the briefs
She files the notice that starts the appeal, then writes the opening brief. The other side answers, and she may reply.
- 05
Step 5: Argument and the decision
Some courts hear argument and some decide on the briefs. Either way you hear from Adaline when the decision comes, and what it means for the next step.
Fees and costs, said plainly
Adaline quotes her fee in writing before she files anything, for each stage of the appeal, so you can decide stage by stage. You don’t sign for the whole appeal on the first day.
Court filing fees, the transcript and any bond are separate, and are paid to others. She tells you the likely amounts at the start, and tells you if they change.
Nobody can promise how long an appeal will take. Many run more than a year from the notice to the decision.
Step one is the date on the judgment
Send the judgment and the day it was entered, and the first stage has begun.